Posts Tagged developers

With CES looming (our team is headed out to Vegas as early as tomorrow!) it’s hard to realize that anything will be going on afterward, but don’t forget that February will yield a lot of great events. One of those events is Droid World, a natural extension of Apps World where developers will converge to speak about the exciting and challenging world of mobile application development for Android.

The event will feature a lot of key speakers and panelists, and a few new folks have been added to the list of those you’ll want to lend an ear to once they take the stage at the Moscone Center starting February 7th. Folks like Tom Chavez, a NOOK Developer Evangelist for Barnes & Noble, will be on hand, as well as Android Developers Cookbook author Jim Steele, Comcast’s Eric Schrag and more.

Everything will be discussed, from the business aspects of application development right down to the nitty, gritty manipulation of code itself. There will be two days of workshops which will be free to attend for anyone interested, so if you can make your way to San Francisco and are interested in development for the biggest mobile platform there is, then there’s no reason you should miss it. Be sure to head to the Droid World site for more information and to register for what is sure to be a great time in Silicon Valley.

The Apple iPhone creates quite a lot of buzz when it comes close to launch, and that has been the case with any iPhone that launched after the first gen iPhone back in 2007. Most of these are mere speculations, while in some cases there will be circumstantial evidence to confirm a feature or two of the next iDevice. The developers have a key role to play in the iOS ecosystem as devs are the ones who keep the platform running. And according to a new revelation, developers are claiming that Apple has been testing their apps on the next major version of iOS i.e. iOS 7 and also with the iPhone 6. The device being tested apparently goes by the name iPhone 6.1, which makes sense given that the iPhone 5 before release was known as the iPhone 5.1 and 5.2. The info was spotted on app usage logs by the developers.

It goes without saying that Apple could in fact be developing a new iPhone for a launch in Q3 this year, but that doesn’t quite prove that what developers claim to be the iPhone 6 is indeed that. What’s interesting is that the IP address of the data comes from Apple’s Cupertino campus, which could well mean that what the developers saw was real. We can know more about this as the days progress, but all in all this has been a great start to 2013 with the rumor mill picking up pace already. The Apple WWDC 2013 event will shed more light on Apple’s plans for the future of iOS and iPhones. There have been rumors pointing towards a quick iPhone refresh, which we can easily rule out.

It will be interesting to see what changes Apple will make with iOS 7, especially if there will be any new UI elements being added. Because ever since iOS 5, the platform hasn’t seen a major revamp of any sort. We can all learn from Google’s example which made the jump from Android 2.3 to Android 4.0 to substantially improve the performance. No doubt the current iteration of iOS is smooth as it is, but it would never hurt a platform to make it even more enjoyable. As for the iPhone 6 reference by the devs, I don’t think we should pay too much heed to it and it could well be a very early prototype, considering the fact that the iPhone 5 has been available for a little over three months now.

HTC has quite the gift in store for One S users, as it has starting rolling out Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean updates to some global HTC One S handsets. The update was first discovered by the fine folks over at the XDA Developers Forum, and while there are a lot of CID numbers that are apparently supported, not all global One S devices are getting Jelly Bean right away. The same is true for the US One S, which is sold through T-Mobile – we’re not sure when that will be getting Jelly Bean either, sadly.

In any case, it would appear that Jelly Bean is hitting a number of One S handsets across Europe, so it’s time to celebrate. This update has been a long time coming, as HTC moved back the launch a few times throughout 2012. October was a potential release window that was tossed around by HTC at one point, but obviously the Jelly Bean update didn’t arrive in time to meet that goal.

In the end, the HTC One S wasn’t left in the dust, but this update brings more than just Jelly Bean. One S users will also be getting Sense 4+, a new version of HTC’s famous skin. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Sense 4+, as it’s also featured in handsets like the DROID DNA, HTC’s latest attempt at tackling the high-end sector.

So, some One S users have plenty to look forward to today. We’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for more information on when the US One S will be getting Jelly Bean, so keep it tuned here to Android Community for those details. In the meantime, let us know if you’re a global One S user who is now rocking Jelly Bean!

Google announced today that it will be adding localized graphic support for developers in the Play Store. Basically, this allows developers to change the pictures users see depending on what part of the world they’re in, so developers can add a lot of Christmas themed stuff to countries that celebrate it but leave it alone in other parts of the world. That’s a pretty handy marketing trick. Google did also announce on its developers blog that 2/3 of revenue comes from countries that are not the US, which gives devs all the more reason to start using tricks like this.

Google announced today that it will be adding localized graphic support for developers in the Play Store. Basically, this allows developers to change the pictures users see depending on what part of the world they’re in, so developers can add a lot of Christmas themed stuff to countries that celebrate it but leave it alone in other parts of the world. That’s a pretty handy marketing trick. Google did also announce on its developers blog that 2/3 of revenue comes from countries that are not the US, which gives devs all the more reason to start using tricks like this.

Google announced today that it will be adding localized graphic support for developers in the Play Store. Basically, this allows developers to change the pictures users see depending on what part of the world they’re in, so developers can add a lot of Christmas themed stuff to countries that celebrate it but leave it alone in other parts of the world. That’s a pretty handy marketing trick. Google did also announce on its developers blog that 2/3 of revenue comes from countries that are not the US, which gives devs all the more reason to start using tricks like this.

Google has released today on its Android Developers blog information about localizing graphics for Play Store listings. It's no secret that Google Play is quickly expanding its reach to many new countries. Part of making the expansion to new markets successful is targeting promotional materials to specific countries. Along with offering localized translations of apps and descriptions, developers can now use different graphics and promotional materials depending on the country the user is accessing the Play Store from as well. Developers could now, for example, offer a different splash page for a country or region's holiday during a certain period, or offer language-specific graphics in each region which the app supports the language.

Google notes in its blog post that a full 2/3 of app revenue in Google Play now comes from outside of the United States, making it clear to developers that this is something important to pay attention to.

Seeing as the majority of top-grossing apps on the Play Store utilize In-app Billing, you can bet they will continue to revamp the tool to streamline it even more. Today the Android developers blog revealed a few changes in the latest version. Below is a summary of the major changes devs can expect to see:

A streamlined design that makes applications simpler to write, debug and maintain. Integrations that previously required several hundred lines of code can now be implemented in as few as 50.

More robust architecture resulting in fewer lost transactions.

Local caching for faster API calls.

Long-anticipated functionality such as the ability to consume managed purchases and query for product information.

I’m sure that’s all good news for devs. The good news for consumers is that it’s now even more easier for developers of apps to take our money. Wait, maybe that’s not so good.

Seeing as the majority of top-grossing apps on the Play Store utilize In-app Billing, you can bet they will continue to revamp the tool to streamline it even more. Today the Android developers blog revealed a few changes in the latest version. Below is a summary of the major changes devs can expect to see:

A streamlined design that makes applications simpler to write, debug and maintain. Integrations that previously required several hundred lines of code can now be implemented in as few as 50.

More robust architecture resulting in fewer lost transactions.

Local caching for faster API calls.

Long-anticipated functionality such as the ability to consume managed purchases and query for product information.

I’m sure that’s all good news for devs. The good news for consumers is that it’s now even more easier for developers of apps to take our money. Wait, maybe that’s not so good.

Seeing as the majority of top-grossing apps on the Play Store utilize In-app Billing, you can bet they will continue to revamp the tool to streamline it even more. Today the Android developers blog revealed a few changes in the latest version. Below is a summary of the major changes devs can expect to see:

A streamlined design that makes applications simpler to write, debug and maintain. Integrations that previously required several hundred lines of code can now be implemented in as few as 50.

More robust architecture resulting in fewer lost transactions.

Local caching for faster API calls.

Long-anticipated functionality such as the ability to consume managed purchases and query for product information.

I’m sure that’s all good news for devs. The good news for consumers is that it’s now even more easier for developers of apps to take our money. Wait, maybe that’s not so good.

Seeing as the majority of top-grossing apps on the Play Store utilize In-app Billing, you can bet they will continue to revamp the tool to streamline it even more. Today the Android developers blog revealed a few changes in the latest version. Below is a summary of the major changes devs can expect to see:

A streamlined design that makes applications simpler to write, debug and maintain. Integrations that previously required several hundred lines of code can now be implemented in as few as 50.

More robust architecture resulting in fewer lost transactions.

Local caching for faster API calls.

Long-anticipated functionality such as the ability to consume managed purchases and query for product information.

I’m sure that’s all good news for devs. The good news for consumers is that it’s now even more easier for developers of apps to take our money. Wait, maybe that’s not so good.

Seeing as the majority of top-grossing apps on the Play Store utilize In-app Billing, you can bet they will continue to revamp the tool to streamline it even more. Today the Android developers blog revealed a few changes in the latest version. Below is a summary of the major changes devs can expect to see:

A streamlined design that makes applications simpler to write, debug and maintain. Integrations that previously required several hundred lines of code can now be implemented in as few as 50.

More robust architecture resulting in fewer lost transactions.

Local caching for faster API calls.

Long-anticipated functionality such as the ability to consume managed purchases and query for product information.

I’m sure that’s all good news for devs. The good news for consumers is that it’s now even more easier for developers of apps to take our money. Wait, maybe that’s not so good.

In-app billing is one of the best ways for app developers to make profit on their applications. It gives buyers a chance to try to the app and then purchase the pieces of content they want after the initial download. Well, in-app billing has just been hit with a huge update that should allow developers to create a better experience for buyers while making themselves some more money.

The first part of the update is designed to make it easier for developers write, debug, and maintain their apps, which should create better app experiences for us all. The Android Developers Blog claims that implementation that used to require several hundred lines of code can now be done in about 50 lines. In-app billing 3 also improves the overall architecture which should result in less lost sales.

There is plenty of other good stuff that should help developers make in-app billing smoother. It adds local caching for faster performance. Developers can also query for product information. They have also made it easier to implement overall, which should have us seeing more apps using the feature, which could be good or bad depending on how developers use it.

The Developers Blog also talked about adding subscriptions down the line. This should open a slew of new options for developers such as publication and game subscriptions that were not available before. They did not say when this option would arrive, but hopefully they drop it soon.

One of the biggest gripes that people had with the recently launched Nexus 4 was its lack of 4G LTE capability. However, as some tech geeks discovered a few weeks ago, the Nexus 4 does indeed have a 4G antenna since it is based on LG’s Optimus G (which has 4G capabilities). Recently it was thought that this antenna could only be enabled in Canada on Telus and Roger’s networks, since they are the only networks that are built to use LTE Band 4 (which runs on the 1700MHz and 2100MHz wireless spectrum). Turns out however, that AT&T also has several US markets in which it owns LTE Band 4 spectrum. Those markets include Phoenix, Raleigh, San Juan, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Chicago, Charlotte, Athens, GA and College Station, TX.

Now, just because AT&T owns the Band 4 spectrum in these cities doesn’t necessarily mean it’s deployed and accessible, but in some cases, users have been able to connect in these areas and get in on some great data speeds. The thought of being able to run your shiny new Nexus 4 on a 4G LTE network here in the states is an exciting thought indeed! If you live in one of the above cities and want to try to get your Nexus 4 hooked up to some LTE goodness, you may want to bookmark our source link below. The XDA hacker hasn’t yet revealed instructions on how to get the Nexus 4 connected to AT&T’s 4G network, but something tells us that he’ll be spilling the beans soon, so bookmark the page and check back often.

One of the biggest gripes that people had with the recently launched Nexus 4 was its lack of 4G LTE capability. However, as some tech geeks discovered a few weeks ago, the Nexus 4 does indeed have a 4G antenna since it is based on LG’s Optimus G (which has 4G capabilities). Recently it was thought that this antenna could only be enabled in Canada on Telus and Roger’s networks, since they are the only networks that are built to use LTE Band 4 (which runs on the 1700MHz and 2100MHz wireless spectrum). Turns out however, that AT&T also has several US markets in which it owns LTE Band 4 spectrum. Those markets include Phoenix, Raleigh, San Juan, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Chicago, Charlotte, Athens, GA and College Station, TX.

Now, just because AT&T owns the Band 4 spectrum in these cities doesn’t necessarily mean it’s deployed and accessible, but in some cases, users have been able to connect in these areas and get in on some great data speeds. The thought of being able to run your shiny new Nexus 4 on a 4G LTE network here in the states is an exciting thought indeed! If you live in one of the above cities and want to try to get your Nexus 4 hooked up to some LTE goodness, you may want to bookmark our source link below. The XDA hacker hasn’t yet revealed instructions on how to get the Nexus 4 connected to AT&T’s 4G network, but something tells us that he’ll be spilling the beans soon, so bookmark the page and check back often.

Android and iOS developers are regarded highly by all. The reason for this is that they provide the experience catering to the needs of a user and roll out updates at regular intervals to keep the app in sync with changes (OS based). There’s enough opportunity in the Android and iOS ecosystem for developers to generate some good revenue out of their applications (there used to be, at least). We’ve seen individual developers come up with fantastic applications, and big banner companies are also pioneers in the field. But have you ever wondered which developer earns the most amount of money out of their apps? Here’s an answer to that.

Research firm Canalys made a brief study of the Google Play Store and the iTunes AppStore, and the numbers weren’t all that surprising. The study took into account the first twenty days of November. During the period, a total of $60 million was garnered by developers on both platforms. And so much revenue was distributed amongst only 25 developers. And as you would have guessed by now, most of the developers hail from a gaming background (24 out of 25). Pandora is the only non-gaming developer to be in the list of 25.

Moreover, out of the 300 top paid apps of Android, 116 are games. And on iOS, 145 out of the top 300 paid apps are games. When we consider free apps, the numbers suggest that 110 out of the top 300 free Android apps were games while only 94 out of the top 300 free apps on iOS were games. These numbers do tell us a lot about how the platforms fare in terms of downloads and which platform is more rewarding for the developers. One thing is clear, people tend to download free titles more on Android than on iOS as most titles that are available for free on Android are paid on iOS. Also, people don’t seem to mind paying for apps on iOS, which has always been a key source of revenue for Apple. What this means is that lesser known developing houses have little exposure in the vast ecosystem offered by both platforms.

Developers like Gameloft and other big names in the gaming arena have a stronghold in the Android and iOS app hubs. It won’t be wrong to say that smaller individual developers are increasingly shying away from the platforms as there is very little recognition received. This is where Windows Phone 8 begins to look all the more appealing to the developers and Microsoft would welcome them with open arms.

Do you buy a lot of paid apps? If yes, are most of them games or are they related to productivity?

Get ready to clear your calendar and get ready for some Android goodness from our friends at Google. One of our favorite events of the year was just announced. Google I/O 2013 will begin on May 15th and run for 3 days again this year, wrapping up on the 17th. This is Google’s biggest event of the year where will learn about the next version of Android, Key Lime Pie, and much much more.

Google just dropped the news this afternoon on their official Google Developers Twitter and didn’t really reveal much other than the official dates. After last year when they had to add a third day, and move the date to June, this year we will get to enjoy everything Google has to share in the usual month of May. I’m getting excited already.

The folks from Mountain View didn’t reveal when registration will start, but did mention “early 2013″ so we’ll have to wait and see. Just like the past few years registration literally sells out in a matter of minutes – like under 30 – so you’d better hurry if you have any dreams of enjoying their awesome events.

Until we hear more details from Google regarding I/O 2013, you can relive all the exciting moments from this year by heading to the Google IO page. This year they announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, project butter, Google Now, expandable notifications, the now dead Nexus Q, their extremely popular Nexus 7 and much more. We’re expecting tons of awesome Google Glass news in 2013 too so stay tuned.

Hot on the heels of the official retail availability (and now non-availability) of the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and Nexus 7 3G, Google has updated the Android Developers Nexus images page with brand-new builds based on Android 4.2. The images, for now, are limited to the Nexus 10, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi and 3G), and Galaxy Nexus (Takju) Play Store variants.

In addition, driver binaries for the aforementioned devices and more have also been posted here. Of course, in more exciting news, Android 4.2 has also just been released to AOSP – so hit up our post (here) for the latest, up-to-the-second info.

If you use S Memo and happen to have a rooted device, you might want to pay attention to this next bit of news: one XDA Developers Forum member has discovered that S Memo stores Google user names and passwords in plain text. He happened upon this while he was going through his SQLite files on his Samsung Galaxy S III, and promptly took to the Developers Forum to talk about it. Another user, one ViViDboarder, replied saying that those files can only be viewed if the device is rooted and would otherwise be inaccessible.

So, those who haven’t rooted their devices can breathe a sigh of relief, as this is only an issue for those who have rooted their Samsung handset. It seems that rooted users make up a pretty large subset of all Android users though, so there’s still plenty of people who could be affected by this security issue. This could potentially lead to root apps gaining access to these files and making off with the information, though ViViDboarder says that would be difficult “without asking for root or cracking root itself.”

Be that as it may, this is still a pretty scary discovery. We’ve always known that there are some security risks that go along with rooting your phone, but this just serves as reinforcement that those who root their device need to tread carefully. That goes for installing root apps too – if you don’t check out the app yourself before installing, it could lead to some pretty major headaches.

It’s also kind of alarming that S Memo doesn’t encrypt this information, but it makes at least some sense if Samsung’s expectation is that most users aren’t going to root their phones. In any case, it seems like that’s the kind of information that should be encrypted, even if it is inaccessible on non-rooted devices. Be sure to have a look at the full thread over at the XDA Developers Forum for more information!

While RIM has already taken to directly rewarding developers who write for BlackBerry 10 in order to stock up its app catalog, it’s about to offer a slightly stronger incentive for the gaming crowd. An upcoming Got Game Port-a-Thon starting November 16th will give producers $100 for every game successfully ported to the upcoming platform, with the perks climbing the more titles make the leap. Three or more ports net a BlackBerry PlayBook, and the first handful who port five or more get a Dev Alpha device to test their creations in a truly native environment; particularly avid developers porting 10 or more games will even score a trip to the Game Developers Conference this March. The catch, as you’d imagine from the telethon-inspired label, comes from the fixed timeframe. There’s just 36 hours open for submissions once the event starts, which will have most developers scrambling to get their code ready in advance. If RIM gets all its developer ducks in a row, however, we’ll have no shortage of fun (or distractions from work) when the first BlackBerry 10 devices hit the shelves.

Following up on the IDC report earlier today that showed 75-percent of all smartphones shipped in Q3 ran Android, Google has now released their monthly platform version numbers. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich saw a little movement and now sits at 25.8-percent while Android 4.1 Jelly Bean saw a jump from 1.8-percent going up to 2.7-percent. From here on out, we'll continue to see Jelly Bean rise especially with Samsung steadily rolling out Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates to the Samsung Galaxy S3 Globally.

Google Play seller support is coming to India, and that's a really big deal. Previously, app developers based in India could only make free apps, obviously limiting their potential. Starting today, Indian developers can submit paid apps, in-app purchases and subscriptions to the Google Play Store. For existing free apps that are already published, developers can simply add in-app purchases while they work on publishing a paid version

Additionally, users purchasing apps in India can now purchase in their home currency. Google is encouraging all app developers to set proper pricing information for Indian Rupees as soon as possible.

India is one of the fastest growing areas for Android, with a 400-percent jump in device activations over the last year. Google notes that in the last 6 months, more apps have been downloaded in India than the past 3 years combined. These new changes will influence developers around the world to start offering more great apps, which certainly benefits everyone.

Say what? While looking around for something new and interesting to share with our readers, we came across a posting up at 9to5Google that brought something to our attention. According to a new posting on the Android Developers website, a new feature has landed today for the in-app subscriptions services that Google offers. Developers will now be ale to offer a set free trial period, allowing users to try a subscription before they buy it. As with all free trials, you will accept the future charge for service and if you don’t cancel in the free trials allotted time, you are then charged. Nothing new there.

On the developer side of things, you don’t need to do much of anything except enable the feature in the Android Developers Console. So no need to worry about re-writing your app or adding anything to your APK. Developers are required to make a trial available for 7 days or longer and you can only create “one free trial period per subscription product.”

OK, so are you as lost as I am on this one? Here is how I am understanding it. Any app that has a subscription based service built into it can authorize and create a free trial for people to check out prior to purchasing the subscription. This would come in handy for Newspaper apps, Magazines, or other online media where a subscription is required, but a trial of the service might be beneficial for users to see and use prior to making the commitment. Much like you see in the magazine purchase we pulled from the Play Store.

This would also be a benefit for those subscription based applications as well. The developer would be able to offer the full app for users to preview in one APK download versus having to create a second “trial” version as well. It would cut down on some of the double apps we see floating about and give potential subscribers access to the full service on a trial basis without limits.

Am I wrong? Please, talk about it in the comments. If you are a developer of some sort that has a subscription based service, please chime in and offer your insight into this for us all. Or is the source completely way off and this is all old news?

All of the buzz last summer about the Google Nexus 7 brought a double-edged sword with it. On the plus side, it helped generate interest in tablet apps for the Android ecosystem. On the down side, it made apparent the softness of the tablet-optimized app market. In a post on the Android Developers Blog, Reto Meier, Android Developer Relations Tech Lead, reveals Google has taken notice and wants to help address the issue. In today’s blog posting, Meier announced the availability of a Tablet App Quality Checklist to help guide developers in building better tablet apps for Android devices.

According to Meier, developers who use the new checklist can expect to reap benefits like increased user engagement, better monetization of apps, and more downloads of apps by tablet owners. These benefits can be achieved by working on focus areas included in the checklist, like optimizing layouts for larger screens, taking advantage of the additional screen real estate, improving resources like icons that are used in tablet apps, and adjusting font sizes and touch targets for tablet screens, among others.

Meier’s post includes a promise to provide tips everyday this week on developing better apps for tablet devices. He indicates Google is preparing to make some adjustments to the Google Play store to help highlight well designed tablet apps in preparation for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Developers who want to look over the checklist or users who just want to know more about what Google thinks makes good tablet app design can hit the source link for more info and links to the checklist.

With the launch and relative success of the Nexus 7 — and other popular large tablets — it's apparent that Google is trying to take Android tablets seriously. One sticking point with Android on larger screens though was the conflict between having separate tablet apps, scaled-up phone apps or universal binaries that can handle all screen sizes. Today on the Android Developers Blog, Google is highlighting several points that Android developers should keep in mind when getting their apps ready for use on tablets.

As a follow-up to previous pushes for better design, these latest guidelines help developers manage making apps look better on large screens by recommending ways to make the app scale properly, make use of the extra screen real estate and improve graphics for tablets. In the post, popular tablet-optimized apps from Mint.com, TinyCo and Instapaper are highlighted as good examples of what developers should be trying to do with their app designs.

The idea of having a single app available in Google Play that scales and changes based on the device is a very compelling one, provided that developers do a good job of managing those different screen sizes. It's good to see that the Android team is doing what it can to help along the process.

Now, we’re not exactly sure what’s going on here but our inbox is exploding with developer friends who have been receiving emails from what appears to be Google’s legal team via the FBI, notifying them of a subpoena hitting Google. Essentially, it’s Google giving Android developers fair warning that they were forced to give out contact information and saying the FBI may follow up with developers individually as part of a subpoena.

We’ve called the Atlanta FBI and confirmed the E-Mails are 100% legit.

Hello,

Google has received a subpoena seeking information related to Android applications that may have been made available on alternative markets without the consent of the developer. The subpoena seeks information about those Android applications, including contact information for the developers of the applications. Our records show that your Android developer account will be included in the information Google will provide in response to this subpoena.

Google is not in a position to provide you with legal advice or discuss the substance of the process in our possession. For more information about the subpoena, you may wish to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation — Atlanta Field Office at (404) 679-9000, reference #2011R00320/FBI/ORKIN.

Regards,

Google Legal Investigations Support

The representative we spoke with at the Atlanta FBI immediately asked if I was calling in reference to the Google E-Mail after identifying myself as a Phandroid writer. Without reference number, she confirmed the e-mail was real but that Google should not have sent it. Apparently they jumped the gun and she ensured that developers have nothing to worry about. If the FBI determines any of these developers are victims, they may follow up, but she insisted that developers should act as if the E-Mail was never sent in the first place.

We’ll have to wait for an official word from Google regarding the issue before we can cofirm, but we can’t help but wonder if this has something to do with the drama surrounding Google and the rival Aliyun mobile OS giving its users access to a plethora of pirated Google Play apps.

Did Google simply act too fast? Or did they simply think developers deserved to be notified immediately regarding the release of their contact information? Or was there a miscommunication between Google and the FBI?

We can’t be sure until we hear further official word from Google and/or the FBI… but you can be sure that we’ll keep you posted.

Over the weekend, word got out through testers and developers that the new Kindle Fire HD lineup was going to be locked up tight by Amazon. According to kinfauns, who is a contributor over at XDA, the Kindle Fire’s bootloaders are signed and designed for HS (high security) devices. Oh, gee, well that just sounds lovely. [...]

Craig Berger of FBR Capital Markets believes that Apple could sell as many as 250 million units of the upcoming iPhone. Berger revealed his prediction in a message to investors as reported by All Things Digital. Furthermore, he surmises that the next iDevice, which he thinks would be one of Apple’s largest product opportunities, could get $50 in terms of earnings per share as well as $47 billion in profit.

If Berger’s prediction is correct, Apple could have a considerable uptick for its other devices thanks to the new smartphone. Apple revealed during the Worldwide Developers Conference held last June that it had already been able to sell all in all 365 million iOS devices as of March this year.

Berger believes that the improved specifications of the iPhone 5 could help account for the high sales. The upcoming iPhone is rumored to have a faster processor, a bigger display, as well as Near Field Communications capabilities, among others, all of which will help the device become attractive for consumers. In addition to this, the phone may become available in China via China Mobile in 2013.

The latter market could help Apple sell 13 million units through China alone by the first six months of next year.

China Mobile caters to 688 million subscribers. It currently holds the record of being the largest mobile carrier in the world. Notwithstanding the fact that only a small percentage of China Mobile subscribers use smartphones, the fact that Apple would be one of their product offerings would open up new doors for Apple in that region. Apple has been trying to get China Mobile to offer the iPhone for their subscribers for some time, and they could be close to finally achieving this goal.

In the meantime, Apple has yet to confirm that it is truly launching the iPhone 5. Strong rumors have been circulating that the device will be announced in September and launched not long after its unveiling.

It may be nowhere close to completion, but it’s awesome to see a small group of developers working to bring ID Software’s DOOM 3 to Android. In the video, we definitely see the game boot up, but the lead developer says movement of the character is still yet to be implemented. Looks like there’s a way to [...]

You gotta love U.S carriers. They are notably insane for locking bootloaders, adding bloatware, advertising, and essentially ruining your device. And that is basically what happened to the Galaxy S III, U.S version.

In the U.S, multiple carriers have blocked the ability to use Google Wallet. Now NFC is cool and all, but when I think Near Field Communication, I think of sharing data to another device, or Google Wallet. And quite frankly, why would a carrier rid of such a useful application?

In any event, some fella’s over at XDA Developers Forums have given U.S Galaxy S III users a chance to use the freedom of Google’s NFC capable payment method.

I wont go into the whole process here, but you just need to have “root” to begin with, and have the stability and confidence to edit some “build files”. The method can be found here.

It is pretty simple, and as long as you make “Nandroid” backups you should be fine. Happy Google Wallet-ing!